Michael foley



No Model.)

M. FOLEY. TYPE WRITER CABINET.

Patented Oct. 9, 1894.

SIN] WITNESSES.

A OHWEY-S.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIoE.

MICHAEL FOLEY, OF HERKIMER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE STANDARD FURNITURE COMPANY, OF SAMEPLACE. j

TYPE-WRITER CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 527,272, dated October 9, 1894.

Application filed January 2, 1894.

To all whom) it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL FOLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Herkimer, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Writer Cabinets, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to desks or cabinets designed particularly for use in connection with type-writing machines, and consists in a novel construction and arrangement of devices for supporting and actuating the movable shelf upon which such machines are mounted. Heretofore in this class of desks or cabinets, the shelf for supporting the machine has been connected with the hinged lid or top of the desk by various forms of mechanism, and in those cabinets which have come into general use, a weight has been employed to counterbalance the weight ofthe machine and its shelf. Such weight is heavy and adds materially to the cost of transporting such desks or cabinets, and furthermore requires the formation of a pocket or housing at the back of the machine for the reception of such weight.

The object of my invention is to avoid the use of these weights, thereby simplifying the construction of the cabinet proper, reducing the freight upon the desks, and permitting an adjustment of the counterbalancing devices to correspond to the varying weights of the different classesor styles of machines which may be used in connection with the desk or cabinet.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view from front to rear, showing a desk or cabinet constructed in accordance with my invention, with the top or lid of the desk closed down; Fig. 2, a similar sectional view with the top or lid of the desk and the shelf for the support of the machine, raised; and Figs. 3 and 4, detail Views.

A indicates a desk which may be of most any desired construction, but which will have a central compartment or well-way down into which the shelf or table supporting the machine, may be moved.

The lid or cover B of the desk is hinged at its rear end as at a to the top proper O, of the desk, and is provided near its forward edge Serial No. 495.404.. on model.)

on the under side with a depending bar I), which, when the lid or cover is closed as in Fig. 1, rests upon a similar cross barc affixed rigidly in position.

To the under side of the lid or cover B, near its hinge or pivotal point, is secured a bracket 61, which is connected by means of a link D with an arm or lever E; said arm or lever being pivoted at its rear end as at e,to the side of the wall of the well-way of the desk, while its forward end is pivotally connected as at f with the shelf or tableF which supports the machine.

The shelf or table F to which reference has 55 just been made, is provided on its under side with a clip or lug g, which is designed to engage and move upon abar or guide G secured to the side wall of the well-way, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said parts being for the pur- 7o pose of guiding the shelf or table F as it is raised and lowered, and preventing the overturning of said shelf when lowered.

Secured to the desk is a hub or post l-I, about which is coiled a stifi spring I, the upper end of said spring being extended forward to engage a pivoted hook h, secured to the lever E, while the lower end of said spring is connected to a draw-bar or adjusting screw J. This bar or rod J projects through a bracket K secu red to the desk, and is provided beyond said bracket with a nut L,which is adapted to screw upon the threaded end of the said rod or bar. The spring is held in place upon the socket or tubular post 8 5 H by means of a pin 2' passing vertically through the post or hub outside of the spring, as shown.

When the lid or cover B is raised it will, acting through the bracket 61 and link D, raise the outer end of the arm or lever E, and as the lever rises it will cause the table or shelf to move from the inclined position up to an approximately horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2. As the table or shelf F 5 rises, its lug or clip g, riding along the front face of the bar or guide G, will keep the table or shelf away from the cross bar 0 until the table reaches nearly the limit of its upward movement. At this point the said lug :00 or clip g enters a recess j formed at the up per end of the guide or bar G and preventsa 7 and be supported by, the cross bar .0, while further upward movement of thetable F, but allows saidtalo'le to tip or rock soethat its forward end may be thrown out over upon,

its rear end, which is provided with an upwardly-extending bar M, strikes against the under side of' the fixed part 0, 'asshown in Fig. 2.

When the lid or cover B is lowered, the shelf or table is first'tipped or rocked upon its clip g, and its outer end thrown up OK the cross bar 0, and then the table or shelf is allowed to move down in an inclined direction.

The weight of the machine, and of the shelf or table upon which it rests, is counterbalanced by means of the spring I, but inasmuch as it is not known in advance the weight of the machine that is to be applied to the table or shelf F, it becomes necessary to vary the force or action of the spring to correspond to the Weight of the machine.

It is obvious that by means of the screw L and the rod or bar J, the force or tension of the spring I may be accurately and easily adjusted and controlled so as to render the desk or cabinet capable of certain operation with various styles or makes of machines.

When the shelf is ineits raised position, Fig. 2, the engagement ofthe lug 0r clip 9 with the upright face or wall of the recess j,

, effectually prevents the shelf from being shoved inward longitudinally and thereby causing an accidental lowering of the shelf. It will also be noticed upon reference to Figs. 1 .and'2, that while the bar or guide G, as a whole, inclines toward the front of the cabinet, the active face of said guide or bar recedes grad ually'toward the upper'end soithat' the shelf shall be kept ofifrorn theeross bar until it reaches nearly the limit of its upward movement.

In order to give increased strength and-rigidity'to ,the clip .9, its lower end, or that portion which engages thefront face of the guide or bar is made convex or curved or arched slightly; this construction also presenting a.

rounded bearing surface which will work smoothly against the face of said bar or guide. It is to be understood that the mechanism forsupporting :and actuating the shelf or table is to be duplicated, with, perhaps, the

exception of the spring. It will be foun'd'advisable, however, to use two springs also, .as they are more easily adjusted and better support the shelf than a single spring.

While I prefer to make the hinged ,lid "or cover .13 in two parts, as shown, this is not essential.

It will benoticed upon reference to Fig.1 that when the lid or cover is'closed, the point of connection between the bracket d and the link D, is thrown back of or out of line with the pivot a and the point of connection between the link D and the bar or lever E 5 so that the forceexerted by the spring to raise the le- VerE, acts through the link. D and bracket (1 to hold the cover closed.

If the. bracketd did not have its'end (which is pivotally connected to link D) extended backward in rear of the lid hinge or pivot a, the lid could not be kept closed without adding weight to the platform.

I am aware of patent 'to Horrocks No.

333,225,in which the shelf or plat-form is so supported at its forward edge or end to draw it bodily backward to some extent and in order to throw its front edge still farther back so as to get all the room possible for the knees of the operator or person using the desk when closed, and to such construction I make no claim. While this function or result is to a certain extent attained by my guide bar and clip, the primary object of these devices is to permit the shelf or platform F to be projected outward over the top of the cross bar a, a considerable distance, which could not be done under the Horrocks construction.

Having'thus described myinvention, what I claim is 1. In a typewriter desk or cabinet, the combination withthe shelf ;of means substantially such as shown and described for raising and lowering the shelf; a guide bar G secured to the desk and provided at its upper end with a recessj on its under face; and a clip G secured to the shelf and engaging the front face of the guide bar.

2. In a typewriter desk or cabinet, the combination with a shelf or table; of meanssubstan'tially suchas shown and described for raising and lowering the shelf; a guidebar G secured to the desk and provided at its upper -end with a recess j on its under side; and a .clip g secured to the shelf and engaging the front face of the guide bar,--said clip being arched or rounded where it bears againstithe bar.

3. In combination with a desk and its lid or cover ;-a bracket (1 secured thereto and extending in rear of. the lid hinge when the lid is closed; a platform; a pivoted arm E supporting said platform; a link D connecting the arm and bracket; and aspring connected to the arm-whereby when the lid is closed, the.

spring will act to keep it closed.

In witness whereof I hereuntoset my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

vMICHAEL FOLEY.

Witnesses:

"CHAS. B. PERRY, ERNEST RIESEL. 

